France says it has received a letter from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with “concrete and unprecedented commitments” to reform as Paris prepares to co-chair a conference on Palestinian statehood in New York. The letter includes condemnation of the Hamas-led attack on Israel, calls for releasing hostages, and pledges to hold elections and reform the authority.
According to excerpts shared with CNN, the letter includes demands that Hamas hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces, which will oversee their removal outside the occupied territory. Abbas also pledged to organize presidential and general elections within a year to “rejuvenate the Palestinian governance.”
France is co-chairing the conference with Saudi Arabia as it builds support for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. The French presidency denies reports that they may be retreating from recognizing Palestine, saying instead that they are moving in this direction.
The move comes as France would be the most prominent Western country to recognize Palestinian statehood, following Spain, Ireland and Norway’s formal recognition last year.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/10/europe